Turkey, Russia conduct 6th joint patrol in Idlib, Syria

Turkish and Russian forces carried out their sixth joint patrol along a key highway in northwestern Syria on Tuesday.

"Within the framework of TUR-RF Agreement/Protocol, the 6th TUR-RF Combined Land Patrol on M-4 Highway in Idlib was conducted with the participation of land and air elements," Turkey’s Defence Ministry said in a tweet.

The M-4 highway, also known as the Aleppo-Al Hasakah road, is about 30 kilometres from Turkey's southern border.

Last month, Ankara and Moscow agreed on a protocol urging parties to "cease all military actions along the line of contact in the Idlib de-escalation area” starting on March 6.

Joint Turkish-Russian patrols agreed in the deal began on March 15 along the M-4 highway from the settlement of Trumba – two kilometres west of Saraqeb – to the settlement of Ain Al Havr.

Idlib has long been under siege by Bashar al Assad's forces and his allies and previous ceasefires for the region were repeatedly violated.

Turkey has been working to protect the local civilian population in the area and rid the wider region of terrorist elements.